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Hong Kong movie director Wong Kar-wei, who captured the world's attention with his unique cinematic style, is in Busan. Wong did not come alone. He came with his newest movie, "2046," which will open this year¡¯s Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) on Thursday.
The work can be seen as the second volume to ¡°In the Mood For Love¡± from four years ago. "2046" is a love story that picks up several years after ¡°In the Mood For Love,¡± said the director.
Wong made his debut in 1988 with "As Tears Go By" when he was only 30 years old. He went on to direct acclaimed movies such as ¡°Days of Being Wild¡± (1990) and ¡°Ashes Of Time¡± (1994). Many Koreans were introduced to him through ¡°Chungking Express,¡± the film released in 1995 and well received by Korean audiences.
In 1997, Wong released ¡°Happy Together,¡± which won him the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival. Wong¡¯s critically acclaimed work did not end there. in 2000, maggie cheung and tony leung chiu wai moved audiences in Wong's "in the mood for love."
¡°2046¡± was first released in Cannes this spring -- the director's confession that he was dissatisfied with the film has made it even more famous. The title contains many meanings. The number indicates the fiftieth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the People¡¯s Republic of China.
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A scene from Wong Kar Wei's "2046"
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The movie is set in the last 1960s, with Tony Leung Chiu Wai as a hopeless writer who lives in a cheap hotel in Hong Kong. His neighbor's room number is 2046. There, Zhang Ziyi sells her body in order to survive. Tony Leung Chiu Wai gives her all of his attention and is eventually inspired to write a new novel. The film is science fiction. People who lose their memories ride a train to the future to 2046 in order to bring back their lost memories. The film crosses over the past, the present and the future, underlining the irony of human life.
¡°2046¡± showcases a collection of top Asian stars. Famous stars such as Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li and Kimura Takuya appear in the movie.
Wong was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong when he was five years old. His father became a hotel manager and the director spent his childhood in Hong Kong. Wong illuminates his present by looking back at the past and on to the future, just as he does in movies like ¡°In the Mood For Love¡± and ¡°2046.¡± Without a doubt, his childhood Hong Kong is at the center of these two films.
(Uh Soo-woong, jan10@chosun.com )
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